Han Solo: Jedi Knight
by Aviatorman
Summary: When Han Solo is too late to save Luke, the mission of defeating Vader and his Emperor falls to one commitment-leery smuggler. A rewrite of Star Wars Infinities The Empire Strikes Back
1. Issue 1: Escape From Hoth!

_A.N.: I was underwhelmed with Star Wars Infinities when it came out because it didn't go in this direction. Now, years later, I'm making it right._

_A.N. 2 The Return: Well, it has taken me four months, but I finally finished editing this. _

**Han Solo: Jedi Knight**

**[A Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back Rewrite]**

_For want of a nail the shoe was lost,_

_For want of a shoe the horse was lost,_

_For want of a horse the rider was lost,_

_For want of a rider the message was lost,_

_For want of a message the battle was lost,_

_For want of a battle the kingdom was lost,_

_And all for the want of a horseshoe nail._

-Proverb

* * *

_It is a dark time for the Rebellion. Although the Death Star has been destroyed, Imperial troops have driven the Rebel forces from their hidden base and pursued them across the galaxy._

_Evading the dreaded Imperial Starfleet, a group of freedom fighters led by Luke Skywalker has established a new secret base on the remote ice world of Hoth._

_The evil lord Darth Vader, obsessed with finding young Skywalker, has dispatched thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of space..._

A Star Destroyer drifts through space, appearing silent and still.

Then flashes come from the main hangar; once, twice, three times. Again and again the flashes come and it becomes apparent that this lightshow has a deeper meaning; probe droids.

One such probe follows a preprogrammed path to a desolate planet; the ice-world of Hoth. It deftly slips in among the meteors and impacts upon a ridge and a bulbous droid draping multiple arms rises from the crater.

The Empire has found Echo Base, whether it knows it or not.

* * *

From a distance away, Commander Luke Skywalker saw the meteor come down while on his patrol. He reigned in his Taun Taun and radioed his friend, the smuggler Han Solo.

"Echo 3 to Echo 7. Han, old buddy, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, kid. What's up?" Came the reply.

"Well, I've finished my circle. _I _haven't picked up any life readings."

"There isn't enough life on this ice cube to fill a space cruiser. Sensors are placed, I'm going back."

"Right, I'll see you shortly. There's a meteorite that hit the ground near here, I'm going to check it out. Won't take long."

But as he signed off, giddy at the prospect of seeing more of this wide galaxy so different from his home of Tatooine, his Tauntaun became strangely agitated. "What's the matter, boy? Smell something?"

Luke turned in to follow his steed's gaze, his eyes becoming a mask of fear as a clawed hand descended upon him and knocked him to the ground. He wasn't conscious to see the second blow that felled his Tauntaun or witness the beast grabbing both bodies and dragging them off…

* * *

Time passed and Han Solo returned to Echo Base to deliver his report to General Rieekan in the command center, glancing furtively at Leia as he passed.

"Solo," Rieekan greeted briskly.

"No sign of life out there General," Han stated. "The sensors are in place, you'll know if anything comes around."

The General nodded. "Has Commander Skywalker reported in yet?"

"No, he's checking out a meteorite that hit near him."

Rieekan sighed and looked at the sensor terminal he had been examining when Han arrived. "With all the meteor activity in this system, it's going to be difficult to spot approaching ships."

"General, I gotta leave. I can't stay anymore," Han blurted out.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Rieekan said.

Han shrugged. "Well, there's a price on my head. If I don't pay off Jabba the Hutt, I'm a dead man."

"A death mark's not an easy thing to live with," the General agreed. "You're a good fighter, Solo, I hate to lose you." He smiled sadly and shook the smuggler's hand.

"Thank you, General."

Han turned away, spotting Leia looking over her shoulder at him and he strode over.

"Well, Your Highness I guess this is it," he said sadly.

Leia, however, was cold. "That's right"

Han stared at her a moment before a shell of sarcasm hid his hurt. "Well don't get all mushy on me. So long, Princess," he said, stalking out of the command center and down the hallway beyond.

But the Princess wasn't done with him yet.

"Han!" She called, hurrying after him. He stopped at an intersection and turned towards her, sarcasm still firmly in place.

"Yes, Your Highnessness?"

"I thought you decided to _stay_," she argued.

Han gave an unfriendly smile. "Well, the bounty hunter we ran into on Ord Mantell changed my mind."

"Han we _need_ you!" She insisted.

Han started incredulously. "Oh, _we_ need?"

"Yes," Leia nodded.

"Well what about _you_ need?" He asked, pointing at her.

"_I _need? I don't know what you're talking about." She said, shaking her head.

Han's pointed finger retracted and he shook his head in frustration. "You probably don't." He said, turning away.

"And what, _precisely_, am I supposed to know?" Her tone baffled as she followed him again.

"Come on! You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me!" Han's tone was accusatory.

"Yes!" Leia shouted. "You're a great help to us, you're a natural leader!"

"No!" Han insisted, stopping to face her, his finger pointing again. "That's not it. Come on." He challenged her before leaning back to allow someone hauling a box to pass.  
"Ah? Come on!" He pointed at her again, a triumphant smirk on his face.

"You're imagining things," Leia shot back with contempt.

"Am I?" Han challenged again. "Then why're you following me? Afraid I was going to leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?"

Leia was furious at the accusation. "I'd sooner kiss a Wookie."

"I can arrange that!" He said angrily before stomping off. "You could _use_ a good kiss!"

* * *

At least Chewbacca was glad to see him, if only to have another pair of hands working on the _Millenium Falcon_.

After some hours of working on his ship, C-3PO approached him as he was berating his partner for disassembling the landing gear.

"Excuse me sir, might I have a word with you please?" the protocol droid asked.

"What do you want?" Said Han shortly.

"Well, it's Princess Leia, sir. She's been trying to get you on the communicator."

"I turned it off, I don't wanna talk to her," he said with aggravation.

"Oh. Well, Princess Leia is wondering about Master Luke. He hasn't come back yet, she doesn't know where he is."

Han shook his head, already annoying with the machine. "I don't know where he is."

"Nobody knows where he is," C-3PO said.

Han started at that. "What do you mean _nobody _knows?"

"Well, uh, you see-" the droid began, But Han had already turned away.

"Deck officer! Deck officer!"

"Excuse me, sir, might I-" the droid tried again, only for the smuggler to place a hand over his voice box.

"Yes, sir?" The Deck Officer asked smartly.

"Do you know where Commander Skywalker is?" Han asked.

"I haven't seen him. It's possible he came in through the south entrance."

"It's _possible_?" Han echoed. "Why don't you go find out, it's getting dark out there."

The Deck Officer knew an order when he heard it. "Yes, sir." He said, hurrying away.

C-3PO attempted to catch Han's attention again, but the smuggler's mind was already whirring with possibilities and he walked off to the Tauntaun pens.

As he wandered through, another officer who'd obviously been roped into the search approached him.  
"Sir, Commander Skywalker hasn't come in through the south entrance. He might have forgotten to check in." He stated matter-of-factly.

Han shook his head. "Not likely. Are the speeders ready?"

"Uh, not yet," the officer admitted. "We're having some trouble adapting them to the cold"

"We'll have to go out on Tauntauns," Han decided.

"Sir, the temperature's dropping too rapidly!"

Han turned back to the officer, his look stern. "That's right and my friend's out in it."

He mounted the nearest beast as another officer warned him of the danger.

"Your Tauntaun will freeze before you reach the first marker!"

"Then I'll see you in hell!" Han said spitefully as he spurred his steed into the night.

* * *

Across the frozen wastes of Hoth, there was another cave, this one lined, not with lights and wires, but with bones. Even the killing cold of the planet couldn't silence the stench of death that inhabited the cave, the cave where Luke Skywalker had been dragged to. The young pilot awoke to the horrible sensation of blood rushing to his head and hands and his face hurt. His eyes opened to reveal a blurry cave that seemed…._wrong_ somehow before his addled brain told him he was upside down. Still, Luke didn't particularly feel like trusting his eyes at the moment, not when he felt like he'd tried to outdrink Chewbacca. A glance downwards revealed a cave ceiling where the ground should be and his boots sticking impossibly sticking to it.

_This isn't good_, he thought as he swung himself up to tug at the stiff material. Closer now, Luke could see that his boots were actually frozen to the roof, as if he'd somehow stepped in a rapidly freezing puddle while they both defied gravity.

_Or like some great beast spat on my shoes to make sure I stayed put until later_. The thought brought his mind back to his glimpse of the terrible visage of the thing that had attacked him. He had to get out before it came back to finish the job. Luke curled up to look at his belt for his lightsaber, which was….. not hanging from its usual clip. For a moment, panic set in as he imagined all the places it could have disappeared to, depending on how far he now was from the patrol perimeter, then he spotted it in the snow, butt to the sky as it he had only casually dropped it and not been manhandled into this position like a slab of meat in a butcher's freezer.

Luke stretched out, reaching for it only to fall short. He reached for it again with the other hand, keenly aware that each second meant that he had less chance at escape, less chance of surviving the cold outside. Realizing that he couldn't reach it, Luke closed his eyes and forced down his panic. Ben had said that the Force would obey his commands and now, more than ever, he needed the Force to listen.

He reached for his lightsaber again, calling out to it not just with his hand, but with his mind.

_Come_, he commanded.

The weapon shifted in the snow. Deeper in the cave, the creature roared, but it was of no importance right now.

_Come_, he thought again, imposing his will on the universe. _It is mine. It belongs to me. It belongs in my hand._

The shuffling of the creature was getting louder, coming closer. And it sounded like it was dragging something.

_Come!_

The lightsaber leapt from the snowbank and into Luke's hand, his fingers switching it without conscious thought as he brought the blade up and around in an arc that he couldn't have performed outside of his trance-like state. He dropped to the ground and rolled upright as the massive creature filled the tunnel that led deeper into its lair. If anything, its features were more terrifying now, coated with the blood and viscera of its meal.

The creature roared in anger as it saw its meal escaping, rushing forward claws extended to rend and tear. Despite his terror, Luke set his feet and swung diagonally, severing one of the monster's hands. It reeled back in sudden pain and he seized his chance at escape.

Luke Skywalker ran and did not stop running until he could no longer see the ridge the creature's cave had been in.

He ran until he could no longer see anything but the blinding snow swirling around him.

* * *

Han Solo reigned his Tauntaun to a stop and raised his goggles for a quick unobscured look at his surroundings. No Tauntaun, no rider, no body in the snow.

_Nothing_.

Han growled in frustration and spurred his steed on.

* * *

Far away, Luke stumbled through the snow. He was cold and tired and his face hurt in ways he didn't want to think about. He'd long ago lost the energy to run, only moving on because some part of him knew he had to keep moving. There was somewhere he needed to be; someplace he had to get back to.

A snowdrift shifted unexpectedly under his foot and he fell forward.

He did not rise.

* * *

Snow swirled across the frozen desolation that was Hoth. The promised storm was coming in, faster and stronger than it ought to. The temperature slipped down fast, too fast for an unprotected man to survive for long. In weather like this, even the native life sought shelter in caves and hollow glaciers.

This was a killing cold.

* * *

Han Solo reigned his Tautaun in again and glanced around the frozen expanse, gazing into the blizzard in vain. When nothing appeared, he sighed and dismounted, drawing a scanner from the saddlebag and moving away from his ride. It grumbled in the cold, but stayed where it was.

The smuggler walked a few paces away and raised the scanner, desperately seeking any sign of his friend. From behind him, the Tauntaun yowled, a sound which started low, rose in pitch, and then died off with a gurgle. Han looked back in time to see the beast fall over, dead.

"Oh hell."

* * *

"Luke"

The body in the snow did not stir.

"Luke!"

Slowly, the head lifted. Standing before him was a spectral figure, a shockingly familiar one.

Cracked lips parted and a hoarse voice spoke. "Ben?"

The ethereal figure of Obi-Wan Kenobi continued speaking as if Luke had said nothing.

"You will go to the Dagobah system. There you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me."

His message delivered, the specter faded away, giving way to the swirling snow.

"Ben," Luke called out piteously. "Ben!" But only the howling wind heard him and he collapsed into unconsciousness once more.

* * *

Han was wandering now, no steed and no visibility. He clung to the scanner with hands too numb to feel, lugging as much of the survival pack as he had been able to carry. When the Tauntaun had fallen, he'd simply picked a direction and started walking, hoping desperately that he'd find some sign of Luke before they _both_ ended up as icicles.

So he walked. And though he had no idea, Han felt a strange pull in his gut telling him to go _this _way, the kind of pull that he'd never tell a soul because it sounded too much like hokey old religions for his comfort. He'd been walking for five minutes straight when suddenly the scanner gave off a faint ping. For a moment, he thought he'd imagined it, but then he looked down through fogged goggles and saw a blip on the screen. The machine pinged again. The blip was in front of him.

Without being entirely conscious of doing so, Han started running. Something he couldn't name and didn't want to examine too closely urged him on, prescribed haste, told him that Luke was _there_.

Han ran.

Out of the snowbanks rose a still form. It was also covered in snow, but it looked exactly like a body.

"Luke!" He shouted, heedless of anything else, all physical discomfort forgotten.

The scanner dropped from his hands, the pack slid from his shoulders as he ran closer and closer towards the unmoving form.

"Luke!" The form stirred weakly, almost imperceptibly. And then he was there, turning his friend over and seeing the blackened face, the frosted lashes. He held the kid close to himself, struggling to feel his breath, to feel his chest rise. He was so cold, so still, only minute flickers signaling that he was alive at all.

Han cradled the dying Luke, oblivious to the howling wind and unbearable cold.

"Luke! Luke, can you hear me? Luke!" Han was frantic, shaking his friend's frost-bitten form.

Suddenly, Luke's eyes snapped open, the blue orbs unfocused and full of fevered delirium. His hand grabbed Han's collar with a strength born of madness. "You must go to Dagobah! There you will find Yoda, the Jedi Master who trained me!"

"Luke! Kid, what are you talking about? You're not making any sense!"

But even as Han spoke, Luke's eyes rolled up and he drew on last shuddering gasp before going still. His grip slackened on Han's collar and the hand was completely dislodged by Han frantically shaking the boy again and again.

"Luke, come on! You gotta wake up!" He begged and pleaded as the tears froze to his face. "Come on, you gotta wake up; Leia's worried sick about you!"

But Luke Skywalker did not wake. Han stayed kneeling for a long time, the body of his friend cradled in his arms.

Around them, the blizzard raged on. Eventually, Han built a shelter and dug a shallow grave.

* * *

The morning came and the storm passed and after the technicians worked through the night, the speeders were finally ready to set out into the frozen landscape of Hoth to find two lost souls. Zev Senesca, currently at the forefront of the advancing line zoomed over the white hills and valleys. Dividing his attention between the skimming maneuvers he was engaged in and his instruments was risky, but so had Captain Solo's rush into the deadly night for a friend. The least Zev could do was return the favor, especially for a man who'd risk his life for Rogue Leader.

His sensor board pinged. Faintly, but enough to catch his attention. Zev's eyes shot to it and hope blossomed. He flicked the comm switch on his board.

"Echo Base, I've got something! Not much, but it could be a life form," he reported. Then he banked the speeder and zoomed off in the direction of the ping. This was it, he could feel it! Everything would be all right, they'd be safe, if a bit worse for wear from the cold.

Zev flicked the comm switch again, changing to a wide-band frequency.

"This is Rogue Two. This is Rogue Two. Captain Solo, do you copy? Commander Skywalker, do you copy? This is Rogue Two."

There was a burst of static and another voice came over the comm. "You're late." Zev knew the voice of Captain Solo anywhere, but the dull tone was something he'd only heard from veterans of the most brutal battles the Rebellion had fought.

"Captain Solo," Zev said, desperately hoping that nothing was wrong. "It's good to hear your voice, is Commander Skywalker with you?"

The answer almost made him lose control of his speeder.

"He's dead."

* * *

News of Luke's death spread like wildfire from the communications officer outward. By the time a ceremony had been organized, almost every soul in Echo Base stood in the hangar; off-duty personnel, hangar crew, pilots, and anyone who could get away from their posts without something exploding. The funeral procession bearing the late Commander Skywalker consisted of the six remaining pilots of Rogue Squadron. Watching them bear their fallen leader was like seeing hope die, their faces ashen and their steps heavy as they passed from the shelter of the hangar to the stark loneliness of the landscape beyond. They passed by the gathered crowd on their way to Luke's final resting place, each man staring straight ahead, too wrapped in their private grief to notice anything else.

Han stood off to one side, away from everyone, just watching the scene. He could see tears on almost every face that was capable of crying, the looks of shock and disbelief at this twist of fate. His own grief seemed muted, distant, like a sound coming down a long hallway. Mostly, he felt numb. The cold of last night seemed to have sunk into his skin, making this whole thing seem like a dream.

The Rogues bore their leader to the prepared grave just outside the hangar doors and off to the side. Standing beside it was Leia, her face shining with tears that froze even as she cried, and General Rieekan. Luke's squadron lowered him into his final resting place and retreated, Rieekan following so that he was now at the center of proceedings.

"Soldiers of the Rebellion, it is a sad day," He said. "When you joined us here, we told you it would be hard. We told you there would be no guarantee of success, of safety, of longevity. Now we stand here, bearing witness to the proof of those words. A hero, a great leader, has fallen. Luke Skywalker, last of the Jedi Knights, fell-" His voice seemed to fade away for Han, adding to the dream-like substance of the funeral. The words washed over and around him, entering into everyone but him. Something calculating kept him apart.

_I can fix this,_ it whispered. _I can get this 'Yoda'. They want a Jedi and he is one, it's gotta work.  
_

After that thought, the rest of the day seemed to swirl together until Han had no conscious memory of what occurred.

* * *

"I can't believe you!" Leia shouted, oblivious to the looks she was drawing from the technicians and pilots scattered around the hangar. "With Luke gone, we need you more than ever and you'd rather run away than become involved!"

Han whirled around from the circuitry he was working on for the Falcon. "First," he hissed, jabbing a finger at her, "I am _not_ running. And second, I ain't part of your revolution, sister."

Leia folded her arms in a huff. "Well if you're not running, then where are you going in such a hurry?" She expected bluster, maybe a snappy comeback that he _thought_ was flirtatious. What she didn't expect was his solemn expression.

"There's something I've gotta do," was all he said. And then he turned back to his work.

Leia stared at him for a moment, her mouth open in shock at his seriousness and his casual dismissal of her.

"Fine!" She threw her arms into the air. "Be mysterious, you nerf-herder!" Leia stormed out of the hangar, causing a flurry of activity as various personnel did their best to look as if they hadn't been eavesdropping.

Chewbacca rumbled a quiet question. Han shook his head.

"Too many people knew about Luke and his skills. That bounty hunter wasn't just after me, you know." He trailed off, gazing after Leia. "No, we can't tell anybody where we're going. It's safer that way."

Chewbacca moaned another question, but the smuggler ignored him, pretending to be absorbed in his work. The Wookie watched him for a few minutes, then moved closer. Softer now, he repeated his question.

He did not fail to notice the increased tension in Han's shoulders. Chewbacca placed a clawed hand on his friend's shoulders.

The reaction was immediate; Han slammed the panel closed and whirled around. "Dammit, Chewie, do I _look_ alright? I could have done something; left earlier, realized he wasn't back sooner, _something_!"

By now, everyone in the hangar was staring at them again, a fact that shocked Han out of his fury. He glared at them all until they went back to their activities, then turned back to Chewbacca, speaking quietly this time.

"Look, we owe these people some. Luke was someone they could believe in, a symbol, even if all his 'Jedi' delusions fell flat. Before he died, Luke said I had to go to the Dagobah system… or maybe he did. He wasn't…. he wasn't all there. But Luke thought there was another Jedi there, this could be my chance to fix this."

Chewbacca moaned softly. Han sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I hope this works too."

* * *

Five Star Destroyers float in space as around them swarms of TIE Fighters patrol. Gradually, a shadow falls across them, blotting out the light of stars on their hulls. Its shape is shape is like theirs, but infinitely more vast. The _Executor_, the Empire's Super Star Destroyer, sails over the other ships, making them seem like children's toys.

On board the _Executor_, which Darth Vader has claimed as his flagship, a sensor operator noted a strange image from the Hoth system and brings it to Captain Piett's attention. He studied it for a moment, his eyes widening. "Admiral," he calls.

Admiral Ozzel turns towards him. "Yes Captain?" He asks, striding over.

"I think we've got something, sir. The report is only a fragment from a probe droid in the Hoth system, but it's the best lead we've had."

Ozzel's face set in annoyance. "We have _thousands_ of probe droids searching the galaxy. I want _proof_, not leads!" He said sternly.

"The visuals indicate life readings," Piett defended.

"It could mean anything," Ozzel insisted. "If we followed every lead-"

"But sir," the Captain interrupted. "The Hoth system is supposed to be devoid of human forms."

The commotion had caught the eye of Lord Vader, who approached the arguing pair.

"You found something?" His deep voice rumbled.

They both bowed, but Piett beat his superior to the punch. "Yes, my Lord."

Lord Vader glanced at the probe droid's transmission for a moment before deciding. "That's it. The Rebels are there."

"My Lord," Ozzel said, speaking as one would to a child. "There are so _many_ uncharted settlements. It could be smugglers, it could be," but Vader interrupted him.

"That is the system," The Sith Lord announced firmly. "And I'm sure Skywalker is with them. Set your course for the Hoth system. General Veers," Vader said, whirling towards the man who had been approaching them. "Prepare your men."

* * *

"Well Princess, it looks like you managed to keep me here a little longer," Han announced, striding through the Operations Center of Echo Base and almost knocking over C-3PO as he assisted one of the radio operators. "I would have thought this was beneath you."

"I had nothing to do with it. General Rieekan thinks it's dangerous for anyone to leave the system until they've activated the energy shield," Leia replied, not even looking up from the readout she was studying.

"That's a good story. _I _think you just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight."

Leia scoffed. "I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain." She finally turned to look at him/ "It's got nothing to do with you, there's a heavy meteor shower coming in and it's dangerous to allow any traffic."

Just as Han opened his mouth to retort, Rieekan butted in.

"Princess, we have a visitor." Han's mouth hung open as Leia moved over to the General. He snapped it shut and followed.

"We've picked up something outside the base in zone twelve, moving east," the General continued.

"It's metal," the nearest technician chimed in.

Leia frowned. "Then it couldn't be whatever got Luke."

"Could be a speeder, one of ours," Han said, leaning over the console.

The tech's eyebrows shot up. "No, wait… there's something very weak coming through." He fiddled with his control board and the speakers began emitting a garbled transmission.

The golden protocol droid wandered over and listened to it along with the rest of the command crew. "Sir, I am fluent in six million forms of communication, this signal is not used by the Alliance. It could be an Imperial code."

Han stared at the droid for a moment, astounded that it had actually proved useful.

"Me and Chewie'll check it out. Not like I've got anything better to do anyway."

Leia looked like she wanted to say something, but she turned away and Han stalked out.

* * *

A few hours after then confrontation with the probe droid and in the middle of evacuation preparations, an announcement informed all personnel that an Imperial task force had appeared in-system, almost on top of them. Han and Chewbacca were still attempting to beat the _Falcon_ into submission via repairs when the message came over the intercom and Han felt the vibrations of the shield generator powering up. He gestured for his companion to keep working while he headed over to the operations center. As he moved through the dug-out corridors, another announcement came over the base speakers reporting that the task force had launched shuttles, no doubt packed with ground troops and assault vehicles.

The hallways of the base were packed with people rushing with controlled panic, some were pilots, some were techs hauling vital equipment to their assigned transports, and the rest were the various members of the ground defense force, read to lay down their lives to ensure the Rebellion lived on. Their total commitment to the cause made Han feel uncomfortable in way he couldn't quite explain. That uncomfortable feeling didn't last long as he stepped into the frantic environment of the control center. General Rieekan nodded to him in acknowledgement and turned back to the holographic display of the base's defenses. The only other person who's opinion mattered to Han hadn't even looked up at his entrance, though this time it was because all of Leia's concentration was on coordinating the air defense and evacuation.

Even as Han strode towards the General, the order to fire the Ion Cannon was given and the base shook from the recoil.

"Captain Solo," Rieekan said in greeting as a nearby controller announced the successful jump of the first transport. "How do things look in the base?"

"Well, people are keeping calm for the most part. Keeping looting to a minimum, that sort of thing."

Rieekan offered a humorless smile. "I'll be sure to commend them later. Is there some reason you're here?"

"To be honest, General, there's not much for me to do around here except wait for my turn to launch," Han said, scratching the back of his head. "I feel kind of useless."

Now the General's smile was genuine. "Then maybe you should take over my men's quota of looting. I'm sure that you'll be payed for anything you can put back in our hands after this is over. Just make sure that most of it _does_ get back to us."

Han smirked in return. "Can do, General." He offered a mock salute before turning away. That swift movement meant that he caught Leia staring at him before she abruptly looked away. The smuggler watched her for a long moment while she pretended to be engrossed in the evacuation. A muscle in his jaw worked and he stalked out.

* * *

The newly promoted Admiral Piett gazed out at the icy white planet and the multitude of landing craft streaming towards it. If there had been any doubts among the crew that this was the location of the Rebel base, they were dispelled when a portion of the planet's surface was covered in an impenetrable shield. Admiral Ozzel had been executed by Lord Vader for his perceived incompetence in bringing the fleet out of Hyperspace early to 'surprise' the Rebels, a tactic that Piett agreed with but would never express out loud if he wished to continue breathing, even if the imposing figure had departed the bridge to prepare for the coming assault.

In the midst of his contemplation, two ion blasts shot from the surface and raked across the _Tyrant_, allowing two snubfighters and a transport to slip by the blockade.

And with that, the Battle of Hoth had begun.

* * *

It was a tense waiting game. Trenches had been dug, artillery placed, and firing lines drawn up. All that was missing was an enemy to fight, and the Empire didn't disappoint. One Captain raised his macrobinoculars and sighted on the strange figures in the distance. The image in front of his eyes resolved into Imperial AT-AT walkers, six of them. He reached for his commlink.

"Base Defense to Echo Base, we have walkers. Repeat; we have walkers," he reported.

"Acknowledged," came the static-y reply. "Launching air support."

A few seconds later, the hangar door behind the lines ground open and craft after craft shot out. The whine of repulsorlift engines pressed down on the defenders as Rogue and Wraith Squardrons made tracks towards the landing party.

There was radio silence among Rogue Squadron for an awkward few seconds before the newly-minted Commander Antilles remembered that _he _was in command of the squadron now and had to initiate sound-off.

"This is Rogue Leader, everyone report in," he ordered.

"Rogue Two, board is green."

"Rogue Three, barrel is clear."

"Rogue Four, gun is hot," came Wes's voice, directly behind Wedge.

"Rogue Five, ready and willing."

"Rogue Six, locked and loaded."

Wedge allowed himself to relax a fraction. It was nice to hear their voices, even if it was inevitable that someone wouldn't make it back.

"Alright, Rogues; we're going in hot, so stay low and keep your throttle high. Attack pattern gamma."

A chorus of acknowledgements followed as the squadron accelerated. The walkers responded immediately and suddenly both the Rogues and the Wraiths were dodging laser blasts. Two of Wraith's number were hit immediately, becoming well-acquainted with the snow.

The remaining speeders made a strafing run, lasers blasting across the AT-ATs.

"My shots're having no effect!" That was Two. Wedge's mind spun, looking for solutions.

_Armor too strong, possible weak points; neck joint, legs,_ he thought. _Neck joint risky, drivers will notice attack run and retaliate._

"Go for the legs! Prime tow cables!" He ordered over the command channel.

As Rogue and Wraith Squadrons circled around, preparing to trip up the walkers, Two took a hit. His scream burst into static over the comm and Rogue Squadron was down to four pilots.

"Janson, fire on my mark!" Wedge was cursing the speeders under his breath. If Zev and Dak had been in their X-Wings, they wouldn't have gotten hit, and they'd have survived if they had.

"You got it!"

Their speeder passed the walker. "FIRE!"

Wes' thumbs tightened instinctively and the magnetic hook thunked onto a leg.

"Confirmed hit!"

On the confirmation, Wedge pulled his speeder into a turn that shouldn't have technically been possible on that model, but desperation burned in him. If this plan didn't work, then none of the ground forces would stand a chance. The speeder groaned, but it held as Wedge curled around the AT-AT once, twice, three times.

"Detach cable!"

Wes' fingers flipped a switch on the side of his grapple gun and they were no longer bound to the walker. "Cable detached!"

They zoomed off as behind them, the walker tried to take another step only to become tangled in the tow cable. The legs, locked and unable to move, jolted and sent the entire vehicle tumbling forward into the snow. Wes cheered at the sight, but Wedge remained grim. There were still five more walkers, and a quick look back revealed the surviving troopers kicking the doors open. Wedge clicked the squad comm open.

"Rogue Leader to Rogue Five. Hobbie, you still alive?"

"So far, Lead."

"Get set for an attack run, I'll cover you." In that moment, a laser blast connected with Hobbie's speeder and it crashed into the snow.

"HOBBIE!" Wedge sputtered curses. Two pilots. _This is worse than the Death Star,_ he thought.

But his comm crackled. "This is Three," Tycho's voice said through the heavy static. "Hobbie's wounded, but we're alive. We're bugging out to the extraction point."

Wedge's gut unclenched. "Good luck, Three." _Thank whatever gods are out there._ The four best pilots Rogue Squadron had left would live to fight another day.

The ground forces fared little better; with most of Rogue Squadron down, Wraith Squadron was hard-pressed to take down the other walkers. And every one they took down only added to the wave of Snowtroopers approaching the defensive line.

One of the besieged defenders peeked over his section of the trench and gazed out at the flitting shapes of the speeders swarming around the AT-ATs. There were depressingly few left in the air now and even as he watched, one of the remaining walker swung its head to the left and fired, bringing one of the speeders down in flames. Following the crash he noticed that the snowy plane seemed to be rippling, but the wind wasn't high enough for that. And then he realized what it was.

"Troopers!" he shouted. The cry went up across the defensive line and soon lances of blasterfire raced across the plane towards the advancing force. Some of the ranks in the front fell, but there were more to replace the fallen, always more. The Snowtroopers returned fire, their shots much more accurate and devastating. Across the Rebel line, defenders fell, taken out by a shot to the chest or the head, each one fallen diminishing their capacity to fight.

And then the Snowtroopers swarmed into the trenches and there was no more organized fighting.

* * *

With a smile, General Veers looked out at the battle. The Rebels had found a way to disable his walkers, but their air support was too fragile to pose much threat to the heavily armored vehicles and his troops adapted to losing their transports by charging towards the Rebel base on foot. He reveled in the sight of the brutal melee down in the trenches, each Rebel cut down urging him to crow with delight. He pushed the impulse down and turned to the hologram of Darth Vader which stood impatiently.

"Yes, Lord Vader. I've reached the power generators," he reported. "The shield will be down in moments, you may start your landing."

The hologram cut out and Veers looked at the frost-covered shape of the shield generator. He waved at the pilots to target it with a lazy wave of his hand, this wait for a full assault was boring him.

"Fire."

The cannons roared and the generator exploded.

* * *

As it turned out, the rush to evacuate had forced the techs to leave several choice pieces behind to hold more personnel. Han, however, had no such restrictions and set about loading one of the remaining hoversleds with his prizes, including personal items left behind in the mad scramble for the transports, each one tagged with the room number it was found in, as well as hyperdrive parts that he was sure no one would miss too much. But the pinnacle of his scavenging was an entire crate of motivators, doubtless there was a technician cursing himself for leaving it behind. Han grinned at the thought and pushed the sled to the Falcon.

"Hey Chewie," Han announced, keying the ship's intercom, "Lower the cargo elevator, I got us some paying cargo for later." Han grinned at the answering bark as the rear elevator descended. His good mood lasted just long enough for him to get their cargo aboard and locked down because that was the moment the base intercom crackled to life.

"The Command Center has been hit! All remaining personnel, relocate and reroute power to continue defense! Repeat; relocate and reroute to continue defense!"

Han sword and ran for the boarding ramp. "Chewie, get her closed up, I'm going to go check on Leia. Be ready to leave as soon as I get back!" He hollered as he sped down the ramp, not waiting for a reply.

As he ran frantically towards the Command Center, the entire world shook around him and bits of the snow tunnels gave way, showering him with flakes and chunks of ice. _If this keeps up, we might not get out of here at all!_ He thought, even as the intercom buzzed again, this time with a frantic voice.

"Imperial troops have entered the base! Imperial troops have entered-" The transmission cut off with a hiss of static. Han cursed; they were running out of time!

When Han reached his destination, he found Leia still directing the evacuation in the newly ruined command center just as he had feared. He hurried over and laid a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him, startled that anyone else was there besides her and the two remaining technicians.

"What are you still doing here?" She demanded as she shrugged off his hand.

Han clenched his teeth at that. "I heard the command center'd been hit, I came to see if you're alright!"

"You've got your clearance, now _go_!" She ordered, turning back to the operator.

"Not without you, Your Worship." Han said firmly, grabbing her arm. "We are the droids?"

"I already instructed Threepio to have the last transport held and take Artoo with him," she said dismissively, struggling lightly.

Han yanked on her arm again, pulling her away.

"Come on, Princess, we gotta go unless you want to be a permanent resident!" Han marveled that even as he dragged her away, the Princess continued to give orders.

"Send all troops in sector twelve to the south slope to protect the fighters!" She commanded, struggling against the smuggler's grip. "Give the evacuation code signal!" Han had her halfway out the door now. "And get to your transports!"

It was now a race against time; the corridors of Echo Base shook and crumbled around them as the battle above raged, making the journey to the transport hangar more and more treacherous all the time.

"I can't believe you just dragged me off like some-" Leia began.

Han cut her off. "If I hadn't hauled you off, you'd still be there when the Imperials burst through the door and I didn't have time to discuss it in committee!"

"I am not a committee!" Leia growled as they rounded another corner that led to a blind fork.

Han looked back at her briefly with a sarcastic grin. "Sometimes I wonder, Your Worship," he bit out.

Before she could reply, the base shook again, nearly causing a complete collapse of the corridor they were in. Chunks of ice fell from the ceiling towards them, but Han dodged back and yanked Leia to safety after him. They huddled together as the air settled, revealing that the corridor before them was now only wide enough for one person to squeeze down.

"Come on, Princess," said Han, pulling her forward, "We have to get you to your ship."

The way forward was enough to give anyone claustrophobia with its cramped confines and icy protrusions jutting out to jab at uncomfortable places. Combined with the heart-stopping fear that each new tremor would bring the roof down on their heads, Han wondered if one of the base designers had been a member of Imperial Intelligence tasked with softening up evacuees before they were taken prisoner. But even as that thought crossed his mind, the two reached the other end of the tunnel and emerged into the _very_ welcome wide expanse of the transport hangar. And there, on the pad, was the last transport. The remaining techs were impatiently milling around, obviously fearful that they'd be caught by Imperial troops at any moment.

They brightened considerably as Han and Leia ran towards them, one of them rushing to meet them.

"Princess," she said. "We were afraid you wouldn't make it! The captain was about ready to take off without you, no matter the blow to the Rebellion!"

"I'm sorry, Nadie; I was held up. Tell the Captain he has clearance to leave as soon as I'm onboard."

The tech nodded and rushed up the ramp, followed closely by the other occupants of the hangar who had overheard.

The Princess turned to Han, suddenly looking self-conscious despite her earlier demeanor. "I guess I'll see you at the rendezvous point."

Han gave a grin that he didn't really feel. "You bet."

Leia's eyes roamed his face. "You're a horrible liar," she said flatly. Han thought he saw a hurt expression briefly cross her face.

"I will, I promise." He reassured, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Just gotta do something first. You won't even notice I'm gone!"

"You're not convincing anyone," she said as they locked eyes. The two stood for a moment, each chocking on the million things they wanted to say to each other. Another hit shook the hangar, breaking the tension between them.

Leia turned away. "You just take care of yourself, Solo." She said coldly as she climbed up the ramp without looking back.

Han watched the transports engines flare brightly as the ramp closed and it lifted off. With a sudden kick, it blasted forward into the snowy wasteland and angled up into the sky. He watched it go for a moment before turning to run for his ship.

"And who's gonna take care of _you_, Princess?" Han said to himself as he ran.

* * *

Not five minutes later, Han's feet pounded back up the boarding ramp of the _Millenium Falcon_, Snowtroopers hot on his heels. He slapped the ramp controls as he ran towards the power console in the lounge, bringing the engines off standby. "Alright Chewie, let's get off this ice cube!" He exclaimed as he threw himself into the cockpit. Before he could take his seat, the power in the cockpit went out. Han growled and thumped the wall, bringing the instruments back up as Chewbacca roared from the copilot seat.

In the viewscreen, he could see the Snowtroopers enter the hangar and begin firing on the ship, a quick flip of a switch and the hidden blaster cannon took care of them while Han strapped himself in. Chewbacca pushed the repulsor lever up halfway and raised the landing gear as the smuggler flicked the engines onto full power. The hum increased for a moment before the _Falcon_, too, shot out of the hangar and angled up for the edge of the atmosphere.

* * *

Darth Vader strode into the debris-filled hangar as the freighter blasted off and watched it go. He recognized it as the craft that had brought Obi-Wan to his death and also delivered the Skywalker boy to the forefront of the galaxy. It had to be captured immediately; if Luke was not on that ship, whoever _was_ would know his whereabouts.

Vader withdrew a comlink from his belt. "Admiral Piett." He was into it.

The reply was immediate. "Yes, Lord Vader."

Behind his mask, the Sith Lord smiled. "There is a ship leaving the planet; a freighter. I want it captured and its occupants unharmed."

"It will be done, Lord Vader."

"See that it is," Vader said menacingly. Then he switched off the comlink and returned it to his belt. He looked around him to see the Snowtroopers milling about, waiting for his orders.

"Well?" He boomed. "What are you waiting for? Search the base!"

END OF ISSUE ONE.


	2. Issue 2: Thrilling Asteroid Action!

_A.N.: Hey guys, I'm back with chapter two! Those of you who read my profile know that I admit to being a slow writer, but it is my intention to stick with this story to the end, never fear! _

_Don't forget to check out chapter one again, there might be some changes, hint hint._

* * *

**Han Solo: Jedi Knight**

**Issue Two**

_It has been a dark day for the REBELLION; their light and hope, the budding Jedi Knight LUKE SKYWALKER has met his death on the frozen tundra of HOTH and shortly afterwards, their hidden base was discovered by the sinister DARTH VADER and his Death Squadron. Forced on the defensive, the Rebellion risked everything to ensure that key personnel escaped to fight another day, among them the resourceful PRINCESS LEIA. However, even as the remains of the ECHO BASE head to the rendezvous point, HAN SOLO is not so lucky as his ship, the MILLENIUM FALCON, malfunctions in the midst of an Imperial blockade…_

* * *

The _Millenium Falcon_ shot away from Hoth, the last ship to escape the Imperial attack. This would explain some of the focus the Imperials were spending on it, but even then, they were strangely fixated on it.

"Chewie, set the turrets to autofire and boost power to the main deflector shield!" Han said, frantically putting the _Falcon _through every maneuver he knew and a few he had to make up as turbolaser fire and ion bolts exploded around them. He punched random coordinates into the Navicomputer as they began to brush the edges of space and waited for it to beep confirmation of a safe jump path.

"It's gotten too hot around here, Chewie."

Chewbacca rumbled an agreement as the Corellian reached for the hyperdrive levers and pulled, making the stars…

… stay right where they were. The sound the drive winding down rang through the cockpit. Han looked out at two Star Destroyers closing from the front and then over at his copilot.

"I think we're in trouble."

A hit to the rear deflector brought them back on task.

"Well, we can still outmaneuver them!" Han vowed as he pulled a lever. The _Falcon_ made a sudden right angle turn straight 'down', catching the closing capital ships completely by surprise.

* * *

Aboard the ISD _Avenger_, Captain Needa stared in horror as the _Stalker _and the _Tyrant_ were suddenly bearing down on him.

"Take evasive action!" He ordered, seconds before all three collided.

* * *

Confident that the heavier ships wouldn't be following any time soon, Han disengaged his controls and rose from his chair. "Chewie, take the helm. I'm going to figure out what's wrong with the hyperdrive."

Chewbacca's growl of acknowledgement echoed down the corridor as Han hurried to fish out the toolbox and choose which jury-rigged panel to fiddle with first. He was down in one of the circuitry nodes testing every weld, wire, and wall for any faults or shorts when the entire ship shook from an impact, dropping the toolbox on his head.

Han roared in pain and nursed his head as he climbed out of the alcove. "Chewie, what the hell is going on up there?"

And answering roar caused his eyes to widen. "A _what_?"

Before Chewbacca could answer, Han raced to the cockpit to see for himself; straight in the path they'd chosen was an asteroid field. In that moment, Han made his decision, as crazy as it was. He dropped himself into his seat and activated his controls then gunned the engine.

Chewbacca barked in confusion. "We can lose them in the field," Han explained, dodging a rock big enough to live on. "They'd be crazy to follow us."

Four TIEs were still in hot pursuit, though and their pilots were insane enough to enter the asteroid field after them. Han rolled the _Falcon_ and skimmed the surface of a sizable rock before zipping between two asteroids about to collide. The TIEs tried to follow his death-defying maneuver, three of them making it through the rapidly closing gap, but the fourth was crushed in a shower of sparks and metal shards. They tailed the smugglers past zipping rocks the size of a speeder when one caught the lead TIE on the port solar panel, causing it to spark and veer out of control into an asteroid the size of a cruiser and explode. The remaining two pilots gunned their engines and tightly followed the _Falcon_ as it skimmed an asteroid the size of a Star Destroyer.

Han grunted and dove into the network of craters that littered its surface. The move didn't lose his pursuers, but that hadn't been his aim. Han gunned for a narrow canyon that connected the crater he was in to the next one and the TIEs followed like he'd hoped. Space became a premium in the narrow expanse very quickly and Han was forced to roll the _Falcon_ or risk getting wedged into the rock at high speed. A quick double turn in the canyon was too much for one of the TIE pilots to handle and it exploded into the canyon wall, but the other kept right on. At least, until the canyon narrowed so much that the wide arms that held the TIEs solar panels caused it to get stuck. The speed at which the TIE was moving ripped the cockpit from its wings and sent it sailing forward into the wall of another turn, exploding as well.

The _Falcon_ emerged from the canyon into a wide crater that looked to be pockmarked with caves. "We did it, Chewie!" Han exclaimed. "Now let's find somewhere to set down."

Chewbacca barked and pointed at a black opening in the crater floor.

"Yeah," Han agreed. "That looks good, let's set her down there."

Together, they pulled the ship into a loop that ended in a dive into the cave, far away from the prying eyes of the Empire. Han didn't land the _Falcon_ until there was a good three hundred meters between them and the surface, both to fool Imperial sensors and to help his peace of mind.

Han touched down gently and powered down the engines and exterior lights while Chewbacca set the computer to diagnostic mode and flicked the cockpit lights off. They sat looking out at the cave mouth and turned to each other.

"Who gets first watch?" Han asked.

The Wookie barked a response.

"What do you mean 'the one who didn't fix the hyperdrive?"

Chewbaca just barked a laugh as he strolled out of the cockpit and Han settled into his chair to sulk and keep an eye on the diagnostic readout.

* * *

The two spent hours alternating between playing lookout and patching up the _Millenium Falcon_'s cascade failure. It was during one of Han's shifts on mechanic duty that the Imps started bombing asteroids to flush them out. He'd rushed to the cockpit to find his partner calmly lounging and watching the flashes, paws near the ignition board just in case.

"Trying to smoke us out?" Han asked, peering out the black circle in the distance.

Chewbacca grunted affirmative and Han nodded.  
"Yeah, well you just let me know if it looks like they've spotted us."

Receiving another affirmative, the Corellian left the cockpit and got back to work.

* * *

After spending hours repairing and rewiring segments of their ship, the smuggler tag team were able to operate on the hyperdrive.

It wasn't pretty.

"Fused," Han grumbled, examining their blackened hyperdrive. Most of it was just cosmetic and a quick once-over with some degreaser cleared it right up, revealing that the source of all that carbon was a melted lump of what had _been_ the two most important parts of any ship; the hyperdrive motivator and the gravitational matrix. Lose one and the ship wouldn't go, lose the other and the ship wouldn't _stop_. At least, it wouldn't stop in time, the thought of trying to run without the matrix reminded Han of that fateful flight to Alderaan. His warning about uncharted jumps had been true, even if the rest of his boasts to a wide-eyed farmboy hadn't. _Dicat's eyes_, but Luke had been young then, Han thought. And he'd been barely older as he lay dying in the snow, no matter what his rank had been.

Just before the smuggler drowned under the waves of guilt he'd been holding back, Chewbacca barked a question. Han had to focus for a moment to decipher what he'd said.

'_Can it be fixed?'_

The question was about the hyperdrive, which Han was obscuring from the Wookie's gaze, but it was also something he'd been trying to put into words since Luke's death. A lump formed in his throat.

'_Can it be fixed?'_

And like that, Han knew the answer.

"Yeah," he said hoarsely. "It's going to be missing a few parts and the ride won't be as smooth, but it'll hold together."

Chewbacca didn't comment on his friend's grief-stricken face as Han rose and passed to the cargo hold where his salvage still sat. The Corellian sifted through his haul, mostly starfighter-grade parts, but there were ways around that. Besides, the only scaled part he needed was the hyperdrive motivator; gravitational matrices didn't matter for size until you got into medium freighters or higher. As luck would have it, among the scores of motivators and circuit boards was a single matrix, a little beat up but entirely serviceable.

Han could feel his cocksure grin returning as he cradled it.

"Chewie, we're back in business!"

* * *

The remnants of Echo Base floated in orbit above a planet so unimportant that it didn't have a name. The system was off the major hyperspace lanes and didn't appear on any starchart, a perfect place to regroup after their ordeal. As the leader of the Hoth cell, it fell to Leia to take stock of what remained. The truth was disheartening; of the thirty transports that had launched, only thirteen had made it to the rendezvous point. No one from Wraith Squadron had reported back and Wedge's Rogue Squadron was down to four members, including him. Though it had been expected, seeing the evidence of near-total casualties spelled out before her was numbing, especially when she looked out the viewport of her commandeered office at the pitiful remains.

General Rieekan approached with another datapad to add to the growing pile on her desk.

"Reports from transports nine and ten, Princess," he said, offering it.

Leia sighed and accepted it, though she hesitated before reading it. "Has there been any sign of…"

Riekkan shook his head. "No ma'am. If they haven't arrived by now, it's unlikely they will at all."

Leia sighed. "Prepare everyone for the next jump, we've waited long enough."

As Rieekan acknowledged her order, his commlink buzzed.

"General," the caller said. "Another ship just appeared on sensors, one of ours. They're transmitting the code phrases."

As the bridge officer spoke, a strange fluttering began in Leia's stomach. It told her something was _wrong_ about that ship. On impulse, she lunged for the General's commlink.

"Battlestations! Prepare for attack, don't let it get close!" She yelled, hand clamped around Rieekan's on the device.

He struggled against her in shock at her actions. "Princess, what-"

And that was when the newly arrived transport rammed into the closest transport and exploded. The flaming remains of the two ships drifted away, clearing the path for the four heavy frigates that had just jumped into the system less than ten kilometers away.

Rieekan swore.

* * *

An adjunct approached Admiral Piett on the bridge of the _Executor_ and snapped to attention.

"Admiral, we've just received word from the pursuit taskforce."

Piett turned with a thin smile. "Excellent. What news?"

"Sir, they've made contact with the Rebel Forces and are engaging them now. The _Restrainer_ is in place and the decoy worked perfectly. We'll soon be rid of those rebels for good."

The Admiral nodded. "Pass along my congratulations and keep me informed."

"Of course, Admiral." The adjunct saluted and scurried off. With the young man gone, Piett turned his attention back to watching Darth Vader from afar. The armored figure had become obsessed with the dilapidated freighter that the Death Squadron was currently following into the Hoth system's asteroid field. The task force was finding progress slow going in the unusually dense belt.

Vader was in a holo conference with the captains of the other Star Destroyers, but even as Piett watched one of the images flinched back and dissolved into static. Outside the viewport, one ship was struck on the bridge by a sizable asteroid, leaving a sparking crater and sending it drifting.

At that moment, a flustered communications officer rushed up to him, the young man's face pale.

"A-Admiral, th-the E-Emperor c-c-contacted me," he stuttered. "H-he c-contacted me! Right at my console!"

Piett watched the poor man with concern as his hands shook. Piett took pity on the Ensign and laid a calming hand on his shoulder. "Take a deep breath and relax," he said softly.

The Admiral nodded as the younger man drew in a shuddering breath and released it slowly. His shaking hands lost some of their tremble and some of the color returned to his face.

"Now, what did the Emperor want?" Piett asked softly.

"His Majesty is demanding that Lord Vader contact him immediately. He was… very angry," the Ensign said slowly.

"Alright, you go get yourself some caff, take a short break, and then return to your post," Piett said, not unkindly. "I will handle Lord Vader."

"Th-thank you, sir."

"Now, off you go, Ensign." Piett said, patting the man's shoulder. As the Ensign rushed off to recover from his ordeal, the Admiral made a note to inform the medical officer of the man's diminished capacity. Speaking with the Emperor himself always left otherwise stolid servicemen so distressed that they had nightmares for weeks afterwards. Then, Admiral Piett strode forward to inform Vader of the command.

* * *

A spark erupted, singing Han's fingers and making him jump back. "Argh! Damned piece of junk, no wonder they left this stuff behind!"

Repairing the hyperdrive was still slow going, the gravitational matrix could simply be slotted in at any time, but until they could get the motivators to stop frying, they couldn't risk putting it in.

Chewbacca rumbled a question.

"I don't know what's wrong," Han replied. "I hooked up the transformers and adapters, they just don't seem to work. It's like the system is outputting more power than the mutlimeter shows!"

The Wookie rumbled again.

"Of course I remembered all our modifications, this isn't my…," Han paused and thumped his head against the bulkhead with a groan. "We grounded the hyperdrive that one time. Now that we're using something with less wiggle-room, the ground charge is overwhelming the motivator." He ran a grease-stained hand through his hair and looked back at his partner, oblivious to how the grease made his hair stick up at odd angles.

"Do you think we could undo that one without more going wrong?"

Chewbacca wuffed something that almost sounded like laughter.

"Yeah, me either."

* * *

The flotilla had lost three transports and was poised to lose a lot more if they didn't take out that Interdictor. General Rieekan had run to the bridge with the Princess the moment the Imperial ships had appeared, but there was little they could do. As they reached the bridge, any real hope for retreat was dashed as an Interdictor cruiser had flickered into existence behind the enemy line, its generators already coming to bear. Without the ability to jump to lightspeed, Rieekan knew they would surely lose against this superior force, tired, battered, and demoralized as they were already. If something didn't change soon, the men and women now fighting for their lives might give up.

Leia saw this truth as well, and she absolutely could not allow that to happen, not when the future of the Rebellion was at stake. She leaned over the bridge sensor board and concentrated. Immediately, movements, angles, strategies of attack and defense all leapt out at her. She could see the battle play out in its many ways; all she had to do was pull the strings to achieve the outcome she wanted.

"Rogue Three," she ordered, activating the command frequency. "Dive now!"

"What?" Hobbie's baffled voice came back through the channel, but he obeyed-

-Right as a turbolaser bolt lanced through the space he'd occupied half a second before.

Hobbie swore profusely and took more evasive action, managing a thanks among the curses. But Leia had already moved on, directing two transports to pick off five TIEs preying on another damaged vessel while coordinating a sustained barrage on the Interdictor, hoping to take advantage of the craft's inability to both defend itself and shackle them. Around her, the bridge crew were reacting quicker than they ever had before, the gunners were more accurate and seemed to know an enemy fighter's maneuvers before they were made, and what remained of Rogue Squadron seemed to soar through the sortie, each fighter more than pulling the weight of a whole squadron.

To Rieekan, it was like watching a well-oiled machine, and he watched and listened from the sidelines as pieces of the puzzle began to fit themselves together in his head. He watched Leia closely as she turned the tide of battle in their favor against all odds with nothing but a few orders and sheer determination, rather like stories he'd heard of Jedi long before the Empire had come….

* * *

Piett watched the assembled bounty hunters, their travel-stained gear dirtying the _Executor_'s pristine bridge. Lord Vader strode along the upper deck, pronouncing the terms of their contract, but the Admiral privately disapproved; they were the _Empire_, they didn't need to hire out to find their prey. However, he was far too professional to mention it out loud, especially to someone a superior who favored corporeal punishment. Out of the corner of his eye, Piett noticed a Lieutenant about to be much more public with his opinion of their _guests_. He quickly strolled over and leaned down next to the officer's ear.

"Bounty hunters," he said, staring pointedly when the Lieutenant turned. "We don't need their scum."

The look on the officer's face revealed that he'd been about to say something quite close to that, nor had he missed Piett's unspoken message; shut yourself up or I _will_. The Lieutenant nodded before swallowing his remark, something undoubtedly said loud enough to get him shot by the assembled group above.

"Yes sir," the Lieutenant replied before turning back to his work.

Piett nodded to himself, one less dead body to deal with for the day.

* * *

It turned out that undoing their jury-rigged modification to the hyperdrive was far easier than applying it had been, they hadn't needed the fire extinguisher once! After that, Han rigged up six motivators to mimic the standard freighter-sized hyperdrive one. They groaned a little under power, but they held and it looked like they would hold long enough for them to pick up this 'Yoda' and jump somewhere for parts.

_Things are looking up, _Han thought as he slotted in the gravitational matrix and closed the casing. His grin lasted as long as it took to get up to the cockpit and see a mynock latched to the canopy.

"Son of a – Chewie!"

A roar came from somewhere in the ship.

"We got mynocks on the hull!"

This time, the roar was tinged with irritation. Apparently, Chewbacca was busy with something and Han could deal with the problem his own damn self. The smuggler rolled his eyes and stalked over to the airlock and donned a breathing mask before cycling it open.

Shooting mynocks was easy, if boring, and it didn't take Han long to clear most of them off. It was hardly a challenge when they were stationary targets chewing on the exterior power cables. The last one, however, seemed to have a keener sense of self-preservation and it dodged his first blast and took off across the cave. Han's follow-up shot missed as well, hitting the wall instead.

The entire cave shook and Han had to dance around to keep his feet. The tremor died quickly, but his suspicions did not and the muted roar from the cockpit told him that his friend's hadn't either. Han looked up at Chewbacca then down at the ground he stood on. He bounced a few times, feeling the odd spongeyness of the cave floor. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach as he pointed his blaster down and glanced at his friend. Han fired and the cave shook again, accompanied by a roar.

This time, the tremors did not silence.

"Oh spast," Han breathed.

Up in the cockpit, Chewbacca was howling and running through the _Falcon_'s emergency startup sequence. Already the engines were roaring to life as Han stumbled back up the ramp. He slapped the airlock seal and almost slid across the deck as the ship went dangerously close to vertical.

"Chewie, get us out of here!" He hollered, clawing his way across the common room.

An answering roar from the cockpit told Han that lifting off was just what his companion was _doing_, thank you very much, followed by the deck ceasing its imitation of a sea-faring craft.

Now that he had sure footing, the Corellian dashed the remaining distance to his seat and flung himself into it. It was a matter of moments before his console was active as Chewbacca gunned the Falcon for the shrinking cave mouth- actually the jaws of a space slug, Han knew now. They drew closer and he could even see the thing's teeth; bone-white protrusions that he was kicking himself for missing.

They shot back into space just before the jaws closed and rocketed towards clear space… right back into the Imperial search party they'd evaded hours before.

* * *

Captain Needa stood on his bridge gazing out at the asteroid field. This whole debacle with a single freighter seemed immensely unwise to him, not to mention costly. Needa's gaze swept over to the hastily-erected scaffolding around the remains of the Tyrant's bridge. They'd lost all command staff and most of the bridge crew and not a single one of their lives was worth whatever was in that _wretched_ freighter. He wished Lord Vader hadn't ordered them on this wild search, but that wasn't a decision he had control over.

Had he been in command, his first order would have been to pursue the fleeing Rebel fleet to quash them once and for all, not endanger thousands of lives going after one small ship likely holding nothing more significant than a handful of ne'er-do-wells.

Needa's reverie was cut short by a hail from the sensors officer.

"Captain, ping on the radar, freighter class!"

The Captain immediately returned to his staff. "Alright, battle stations! Bring up our shields, Comms; inform Lord Vader that we have them, Weapons; shoot to disable, I don't want to give Lord Vader any reason to complain. Tractors?"

"Sir," a young officer called out.

"Do anything you have to, but I want that ship hooked the _moment_ you have a lock."

"Yes, Captain!"

Needa turned towards the helmsman. "Intercept course, all ahead full if you would be so kind," he ordered.

"Aye aye," the helmsman replied with a cocky salute.

Needa turned back to the viewport to observe the pursuit, but mostly to hide his smile. His crew was fast and efficient, taking pride in their work. Pride that was reflected in their Captain, who had absolutely no need for the Empire's usual iron-handed discipline and the initiative it ruined. In fact, when they caught this blasted freighter, he'd see to it that they were given shore leave on Chandrilla.

"Target in range, firing," reported Weapons.

"Shields up, full strength. No breaches," said Shields.

Engineering nodded at something coming through his headset. "Engineering reports no problems. Reactor's running smooth as Whyren's Reserve."

"Mind on the task at hand, Ensign," Needa chided gently.

"Of course, Captain."

Through this, the officer tracking the freighter remained huddled over his console, his attention unwavering. Suddenly, he whirled into action, throwing switches and pounding commands into his screen.

"I have a lock!" He shouted. "Tractor engaged!"

As soon as he announced that, the screen on his console turned red and began bleeting warning sounds.

"Son of a Hutt's whore!" The officer swore, pounding on his console and futilely trying to punch in commands.

Needa, who had turned at the first shout, crossed to the Tractor station. "What happened," he demanded.

"Damn thing's locked up!" The Ensign bit out in frustration. "That freighter tossed out a karkload of metallic dust and the damn thing tried to tag all of them for a lock." He smacked the console again.

"Did it affect the port tractor beam?" The Captain asked, choosing to ignore his crewman's language. They _were_ sailors, after all.

The Ensign looked over at another console. "No, it's still clear but the target is out of range."

"Helm," Needa snapped. "Roll us until our port tractor beam can be brought to bear."

"Yes sir."

Needa turned. "Weapons, do not let up, track with the roll. I don't want to hear a single pause in our barrage."

"Sir!" Needa's First Officer called, still standing at the viewport.

"What?"

"They've moved into attack position!"

"_What?_" Needa rushed to the window in time to see the freighter buzz his bridge. He ducked instinctively and then turned back to his bridge crew.

"Sensors! Track them, they may be coming around for another pass!"

The sensors officer looked at his Captain, his face pale. "They're gone from our scopes, sir."  
Needa's first thought was that the wretched ship was too small for it to be a cloaking device, followed closely with the realization that the freighter's 'attack run' had been a ploy by the pilot to make a hyperspace jump without being under fire. He took a deep breath and turned to his First Officer.

"Number One, you are acting Captain. You have the bridge while I take a shuttle to Lord Vader's ship and… apologize."

Needa tried his best not to look at the devastation plain on the man's face as he turned to leave the bridge. The entire room was deathly silent as the Captain strode out, back straight and eyes straight ahead so he would not have to see the looks of sympathy and sorrow his crew gave him.

Onboard the shuttle, Needa gazed back at his ship and silently said goodbye to her. He knew that he would never see his Lady Avenger again and he hoped that her new captain knew how to treat a lady right.

* * *

"Status," Princess Leia barked irritably, her head was _killing _her and she had a feeling that a roll call wouldn't help matters.

"Nine transports fully functional, one heavily damaged. Rogue Squadron present and accounted for," came the immediate report from an analyst on her left.

"And the other three?"  
"They didn't make it, ma'am. Either they mis-jumped or they stayed behind to give us time to escape."

Leia rubbed her temples, trying to dispel the throbbing pain from the battle and the fading adrenaline.

"How did it come to this," she said softly. "Keep jumping, don't even let them get close enough to trace our exhaust."

"At once, Princess."

The analyst withdrew and Rieekan stepped in. "How are you feeling, Princess?" He asked, offering a steaming cup of caff.

"Drained," she answered, accepting the drink gratefully. "It's strange, Yavin didn't do that. Maybe it was because I was in the thick of things this time."

"It's probably something of that nature, Your Highness. You should get some rest."

The Princess nodded. "I will."

She turned to leave, but turned back again. "High Command-"

"Has already been informed," Rieekan interrupted. "A coded update went out across all channels. Rest, Princess, I promise not to let the Alliance crumble in your absence."

Leia smiled. "Of course. Thank you, General."

And this time she really did leave the bridge.

* * *

Needa's body was being dragged away from Vader's private chambers. Boba Fett watched it go, his mind already whirling with Han Solo's known associates and most likely safe havens. The Empire was willing to pay a very large sum for the ship and its passengers, but that was just icing on the cake that was Jabba's exorbitant bounty for the Corellian pilot. Beating the others to the punch was just professional pride, catching Solo was a more personal mission, though.

Oh yes, Boba Fett was going to enjoy this hunt.

END OF ISSUE TWO


End file.
